Passive display screens are used to present images that are projected by a projector. Home entertainment systems often use projection systems to project images onto a passive screen to provide a big screen, high quality viewing experience. Unfortunately, passive display screens can suffer significant loss of image contrast due to light from non-projector sources, such as room lights, daylight from windows, and so forth. As a result, quality of the image presented on existing passive display screens can be poor.
Another challenge that may impact viewing quality in projection systems is the physical arrangement of the screen within an environment, relative to the projector, and relative to the viewer(s). Ideally, for a conventional screen, the projector should project the image from a location that is normal to a planar surface of the screen. The viewer should also have a point of view that is normal to the planar surface. But, in this arrangement, the viewer's body (e.g., head, shoulders) may intercept at least a portion of the projected image, blocking that image from reaching the screen. To avoid this unintended obstruction, projectors may be placed in front of the viewers, or from an overhead position. However, these placements may not help. For instance, placing the projector in front of the viewers may obstruct the view of the viewer, and moving the projector relative to a conventional screen may cause degradation in the quality of the image presented on the screen.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved screen technologies that better accommodate off angle projection of images.